Lento, a “chronicler” of the events of March 9, 1956 (According to Otar Chkheidze’s novel “Revelation”

Abstract

March 9, 1956 remains a controversial issue in Georgian historiography to this day, as the protest was ambivalent in its content ad demands. Despite differences of opinion, everyone agress, that this was the first anti-Soviet political rally in the Soviet Union. On the one hand, the demonastrators, insulted by Nikita Khrushov’s report on “The cult of personality” at the 20^th congress of the CPSU, praised Stalin, and on the other hand, distanced themselves from the Soviet Union and demanded national independence. In the Soviet Union (obviously in Soviet Georgia) this topic has been avoided for decades; It did not have a wide response in public discourse. Lasha Berulava comments on the tragedy in the article “March 9, 1956 – Another Bood Drop of the dead Man” the following opinion is expressed:”Stalin,with his death, acted as a “dead body” and “organized the massacre of the capital of the Georgian people. This was March 9, 1956, when Georgians protested against the cult of Stalin; It was Stalin who wrote to Orjonikidze standing near Tbilisi surrounded by Russian troops:”Attack now, take the city, I will command you!” {Berulava, 2011:09}.In this article we will try to briefly discuss the events of March 9, 1956, which take place agaibst the background of the life of a boy from the village, Lento. Lento, as a “chronicler” of “Looker” events from afar, tries to remember the “shots” which camera in his hand. Lento does not appear to be the leader’s apologist either, but he still has trouble and loses his brother and sister in these “dumb” people.